Organizational Priorities–strategic and universal

Two types of organizational Priorities

Organizational Priorities are the third component of Core Culture, yet not a part of Organizational Identity. These are the values that further guide the organization. There are two types of Priorities: strategic Priorities and universal Priorities.

Strategic Priorities are a part of the Core Culture; they are the values aligned with the organization’s Vision and Goals. Incorporating these strategic Priorities into the core of the culture ensures that the culture will support organizational success.

Strategic Priorities are values specifically related to an external, customer, and market focus. They can be uncovered by understanding what the organization needs to focus on and pay attention to in order to achieve its business goals. If the economy is undergoing a recession, then cost control might be a strategic Priority. Or if competition is moving quickly to take over future markets, then speed might be a strategic Priority. Strategic Priorities change over time as the organization’s strategy changes.

Universal Priorities are values that have an internal, employee focus. These Priorities are the areas the company needs to focus on and pay attention to in order to have an engaged workforce. These values are universal to all organizations–meaning universal Priorities nurture an enriching and motivating workplace that stimulates exceptional efforts and heightened loyalty. In an ideal world, these values would not be differentiators. But organizations do not uniformly live these values; therefore, the presence of these values enhances the competitiveness of the organization and the absence of these values deters an organization from achieving its potential.

The universal Priorities consist of the following values: fit, trust, caring, communication, achievement, and ownership.

FIT: Do I fit?

Meaningfulness

Harmony

TRUST: Do I trust them?

Integrity/Honesty

Fairness

Consistency

Competence/Reputation

CARING: Do they care about me?

Relationships

Belonging

Camaraderie

Teamwork

Friendship

Support

COMMUNICATION: Am I informed and do they listen?

Certainty

Transparency

Openness

ACHIEVEMENT: Am I growing, developing, achieving?

Feedback/Progress

Recognition

Learning/Development

OWNERSHIP: Do I feel like an owner?

Autonomy

Involvement

Flexibility

Work is more than an economic transaction; addressing the social and human side of the worker is key to achieving optimal performance.